


Subcon Waltz

by DemonKingUwU



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Sane!Vanessa, Yep it gonna be sad and fluffly, been meaning to write this for sometime, will be rewriting a bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonKingUwU/pseuds/DemonKingUwU
Summary: She didn't any of this to happen...She just wanted to find him... and this was the price she paid...She was trapped in the claws of a soul-eating monster...This cruel shadow...
Relationships: Snatcher/Queen Vanessa (A Hat in Time), The Prince/Queen Vanessa (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	1. Prologue - Storybook

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I got this idea, What if Vanessa was sane and fully trusted her prince but the prince ended up dying anyway?  
> So I wrote a fic :p

_Once upon a time…_

_There was a kingdom known as Subcon. It was a small sleepy kingdom just deep within the woods._

_The kingdom was ruled by a beautiful Queen and her handsome Prince._

_The Queen and the Prince had loved one another so very much. They would spend all their time together, ruling side by side. Playing their beloved piano and violin while the village children sang happily. Spending cold nights beside the fireplace, reading and talking. Dancing among the snow, laughing happily as the snowflakes fell upon them._

_Truly, it was a wonderful and peaceful time._

_However, the Prince had to leave in order to study more and become a better ruler._

_The Queen slowly turned mad without her love by her side. Having such vile dark thoughts and jealous rages whenever she received a letter back from her Prince talking of his tutor._

_She was planning to lock her Prince up once he comes home but ultimately deciding that was too insane even for her._

_The day the Prince had come back was the day that all hell broke loose._

_The Queen was strolling through the village merrily, knowing her Prince will be coming soon to visit._

_Children were happily greeting their beloved ruler and handing her colorful flowers. She smiled and took them when she spotted someone familiar in the corner of her eye._

_She followed him._

_There was_ **_HER_ ** _Prince holding hands with another woman while holding a bouquet of flowers…._

_The Queen cried of heartbreak and fled._

_She fled before seeing the coin the woman was handed in exchange for the lovely bouquet of The Queen’s favorite flowers._

_When The Prince returns to the manor, he was grabbed and dragged away by two large metal knights._

_He tried and tried explaining what had happened but The Queen wouldn't hear it._

**_She didn't want to hear any more lies._ **

_The Queen was beyond furious and heartbroken._

_Because of her anger and pain, dark ice magic deep within her was unlocked and froze all her surroundings._

_She, in her blind rage, froze her beloved kingdom and people._

_Many had died that day and those who survived the attack, starved in the wilderness or fell to disease and frostbite._

_The Queen herself turned into a heinous monster._

_One that froze all who dared enter her home._

**_What of The Prince?_ **

_The Prince had died chained to a wall in the cellar weeks later._

_Of the cold, of starvation.... and of a broken heart._

_The Prince, upon his final breath, cursed his beloved's name, tears flowing through his eyes._

_He closed his eyes._

_Only to open large yellow orbs._

_Upon death, the once kind and gentle Prince turned into a dark Shadow who ruled the dark woods. Killing all who dare enter and consuming their souls._

_To this day, Subcon is nothing more than a mixture of dark haunted woods and an ice kingdom of death._

_Ruled by A Sadistic Ghost and An Insane Queen with a deep hatred for one another._

_The End…._

However, this is not the story that you will be presented with.

Our story isn't about an obsessed Queen who turned insane and killed all she loved.

But rather, our story is about a Princess who lost everything in order to find her lost love…

... And a lost love who forgot all he cared about….

  
  
  



	2. The Shadow and the Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finished! At least chapter 1 ;v;  
> Enjoy!

_  
  
He ran as fast as he could to the village, barely catching his breath.  
_ _His pale face was caked with sweat.  
_ _His legs were tired and hurt but it didn’t matter. He had to get this information to the captain, the rest of the knights, **ANYBODY**!  
_ _They needed to know what lurked in the Forest! What killed all his comrades!!… What took his very soul…_

 **_It's supposed to be a simple patrol!  
_** _Why did things end up like this?!_ _He almost cried in relief as he saw the bridge leading into the village._

 _“Help!! Anyone!! Please!!” He cried loudly as he ran across the bridge. He began knocking at anyone’s door in hopes that they would open up and let him in! He was desperate and scared.  
_ _Scared of_ ** _it_ ** _...  
_ _He growled in frustration as no one opened their doors. It was as if no one could hear him!_

**‘HeHeHeHe...Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you don’t have a soul anymore?…….’**

_His face paled further as he heard that dark sinister voice._ _  
__He turned his head frantically, looking for **it**.  
_ _He ran away into a dark alleyway, almost tripping in a panic-_

 _“PLEASE ANYONE!! HELP!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. Tears flowing down his face as he looked around for anyone and anything.  
_ _But there was no one who heard his desperate cries._

_No one but **it**. _

_He let out a pained cry as he backed himself to a wall, and slid down to sit against it.  
_ _He was both physically and mentally exhausted beyond belief._

 _Having to do_ **_it’s_ ** _bidding for days and burying his friends and fellow soldiers…  
_ _Perhaps death is preferable after all…._

 _He shook his head, he needed to tell of the horrors of that forest so there wouldn’t be any more victims!  
_ _He looked up at the moon and the starry sky and stood up, determined to go on._

**‘You’re not planning on breaking your contractual obligations, are you?’**

_He looked to the wall across him, at the source of the dark twisted voice that made his heart shake in fear.  
_ _There, he saw_ **it**. 

_A shadow in the pale moonlight._

**‘Well then… I guess you aren’t any use to me then. I have no need for useless playthings…’**

_A yellow wicked fanged smile appeared on the shadow as it crackled loudly._

_“N-No-No… Plea-Please”_

_In an instant, the man’s dead headless body bled on the streets of the village._

**‘Tch, how annoying! Having to chase around a useless insubordinate servant! Wish I've eaten him earlier and have chosen a more suitable person in his group...'**

_The Shadow looked at the dead man’s body, flew upwards, and made his soul appear from the sky._ _  
__He grinned widely once more and ate the poor fool’s soul._ _  
__It’s energy fueling him. Making him stronger.  
  
 ~~ **He had to come back better- To prove- To prove what?**~~_

**‘HAHAHA! See? Now you get to be with your beloved friends! Now you’ll never weep out of lonel-’**

_The Shadow looked up at the starry sky with a blank stare._ _His head was hurting for some strange reason._

**_“Wi...You…. I’m ….Nev..Lonely...My..De..est.V..N..A”_ **

_The Shadow put a hand on his temple as he gently shook his head. Turning his head, glancing at the village below him...He's never been here before...Has he? There were so many delicious souls here...  
But why- Why didn't he just-  
He shook his head as he glanced upward at the large Manor that resided far off the village.  
He...He..Knew that place...  
He could have sworn, he's been there before...   
  
Then it hit him...A strange urge to go there and snatch something precious of his away...  
He blinked...He had something there?  
 **But What?  
**_

**'Hmmm'**

* * *

_  
_It was a cool and breezy night as she looked up at the stars where she was sitting upon the flowers in the back gardens in the manor.  
She smiled softly as she sighed and looked back down at the snowdrops.   
  
She enjoyed evenings like this, sneaking out into the gardens, in the soft breeze of the night, under a sky full of stars... She sighed once more but more dejectedly as her smile dropped into a sad frown,  
As much as she enjoyed it, she would prefer to not have been alone...  
She shook her head gently. _No_...She shouldn't think like that...   
  
He was working hard for their future, she just needed to do what she could to support him...  
 _Unless he was overworking himself-_  
 ** _He, unfortunately, was known to do that._**  
She giggled at the memory of trying to pull him away only to relax more. It wasn't until she teased him about taking away his precious bacon if he kept at it. He hissed playfully but relented.   
  
....  
She looked up at the stars wistfully.   
  
" _Aster...._ " she whispered as she held her hands to her chest. " _Aster...Wh-_ "  
Before she could finish, a rustling could before from her right, behind the metal bars surrounding the area. She jolted in surprise as she shook a little and gulped. She got up and straggled a little as she picked up a stick. It wasn't much protection but maybe she could whack it hard enough and call the guards-  
Her heart started thumping in fear as the rustling started coming closer and closer before suddenly stopping. She blinked as she still gripped her stick tightly.   
  
....And out popped out a tall lady with messy red hair and freckles.  
"Heya Van!" the lady said with a smirk as she loudly yelped and dropped her stick.   
The lady chuckled at this as she huffed and sighed in relief, before pouting and trying her best to whack her through the bars of the fence.   
  
" _ **Flora!** You scared the daylights out of me!_" she scolded her as Flora laughed, trying to avoid the whacks.   
  
"Sorry! Sorry! I thought it was funny!" Flora laughed as she flinched upon a soft whack.   
  
"Well I didn't!" she retorted back angrily before blinking and quickly looking back in case she was loud enough to alert the guards. Sighing in relief as she didn't see anyone, she turned back to her with a pout before dropping her stick.   
Flora was just smug as she ruffled her hair, minding the crown in her head,   
  
"Sorry, Vanny- But it's not my fault you're so cute when you're angry hehe~," Flora said smugly as she stuck her tongue out at the tall redhead.   
  
"Am not-" she pouted while crossing her arms.   
_"I don't know why you two insist-"_ she muttered before blinking and looking up at her with hopeful eyes.   
Flora's playful smug expression fell into a more somber and sorry expression.   
  
"Sorry... No letters.. ** _again_** " She said softly but with a hint of anger.   
  
"Oh.." She whispered as she looked down, no doubt with a crushed expression on her face.  
  
It has been two months since he returned to his school after a small break...  
 _That was the last they heard of him_ , he hasn't sent any letters or been written back by his tutor despite the countless attempts to contact her.   
She couldn't help but have a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.   
She placed a hand on her chest.  
 ** _She felt a cold feeling on her chest...She didn't know what it was... It was...It was painful..._**  
  
" _ **ARRRAGH!**_ " shouted Flora as she punched a metal bar. She jolted in surprise, the pain disappearing in a flash.   
"Who does that bastard think he is!? Not sending one stinking letter to his little sister and cute tiny girlfriend! **Why, when I get my hands on him-!!** " she growled as she made motions of choking a person in the air.   
  
" _Fiona, please..._ " She said as she could feel herself sweatdrop with a soft nervous smile, before looking up at the starry sky.   
"He promised us he would be alright and come back...And you know he never breaks a promise." she said gently with a smile. Fiona pouted but sighed.   
  
"I guess...But he is still a huge nerd jerk-" Flora pouted even more as she giggled.   
  
"Well, I'm a bit of a _'nerd'_ myself, you know." she giggled.   
  
"Well, yeah- But at least you are cute- He's not, He's just mean dork...A lucky one that's for sure." Flora snorted as she blushed a little, fidgeting with her hands a little.  
"I still don't how a beautiful, smart, fairytale princess, like you, could like a loser like him," Fiona said with an eyebrow raised as she blushed even more.  
  
"W-Well, your brother is very kind, smart, and funny.....and handsome-" She said getting flustered thinking about him. He was truly an amazing and wonderful man... She still had no idea how he fell for her...But it was no wonder she fell for him...  
"He..He is truly amazing and...And devoted...And-"  
  
"Careful there, Vanny. Looks like you'll burst into flames any minute now." Flora said smirking as she jumped a little and cover her face in embarrassment. Fiona laughed as she tried her best to pat her on the other side of the fence.   
  
" _Floraaa..._." she squeaked in embarrassment.   
  
"Yes, your highness?" Flora said smugly as she looked up at her still blushing, but pouting.   
"Come on- You're so cute when you're pouting-   
It's no fair that dork gets a cute princess girlfriend while I'm still single!  
I swear one of these days, I'll steal you from my brother." Flora laughed as she rolled her eyes.   
  
"You can, but my heart will always belong to him! No matter what!" she giggled as Flora pouted. She looked up at the stars and smiled as she placed her hand on her chest.   
_"Always..."_ she said in a soft and meaningful matter.   
  
Flora could only smile softly at her before shaking her head softly.   
_"That lucky bastard..._ " Flora muttered before smiling at her.   
"I have to go, it's pretty late already," Flora said as she looked down from the stars.   
  
"So soon?" she said in a soft disappointed voice. Flora snorted as she put a hand through the bars and ruffled her hair.   
  
"Yep, Have to wake up early to open up the stall, plus pretty sure you have princess lessons or duties tomorrow," Flora said with a smirk as she grimaced at the thought.  
  
" _Don't remind me.._." She said with a tired expression on her face.   
It wasn't so much as Princess Lesson, it was more of ' _Bride-in-training_ ' Lessons... _For marrying a prince_... ** _Ugh..._**  
  
"It's my job as a faithful citizen to remind the royal princess of her royal duties!" Flora said in a teasing fake pompous tone that made her roll her eyes and giggle as she began pushing her.   
  
"Well, as the royal princess, I order you, Flora Birch, to go home and get a good night's rest!" she teased back while giggling.   
  
"If her royal highness wishes so, it will be done!" she teased back while chuckling, before smiling at her and ruffling her hair once more.   
"Night, Vanessa. Take care, and have nice dreams."   
She smiled up at her and nodded.   
  
"You too, Flora..."  
  
" _Just don't dream about my dork of a brother too much, you hear?_ " Flora smirked as she ran off before Vanessa could react.   
  
She went back to being flustered and stuttering.   
" _ **Flora!!**_ " she shouted as she pouted. She felt embarrassed... ~~ _Even though she knew her dreams will probably be about Aster....Hng,..._~~  
She scoffed before giving a small smile at where Flora left and turn her back, heading back into her personal prison.   
  
Just when she was about to leave the garden, she heard faint rustling from the bushes like earlier.   
But instead of being nervous or frightened like before, she smirked softly.   
  
"It's not going to work this time, Flora. So just go home and go to bed, silly." she scolded playfully with her hands on her hips.   
But the rustling didn't stop...   
She pouted and crossed her arms.  
"I'll outlaw bacon if you don't, I'm a princess, I can do that~" she said teasingly. Well, she didn't really knew if she could, but she definitely wouldn't. What crazy person would outlaw bacon of all things?  
  
The rustling soon stopped and she smiled and giggled before heading back into her home.  
  
Not noticing the two glowing yellow eyes that peered at her with shock as she left. 

* * *

She prepared for bed, in her pajamas, and with brushed teeth and hair.  
She stretched her arms before she sat down at her desk as she opened her drawer, and lifted a false bottom to retrieve her diary. She got her pen and dripped it in ink. She opened her diary and began to write.   
  
_Dear Diary,_  
 _Today was as uneventful as always, besides getting to see Flora in the gardens.  
She always brightens up my grueling days with her visits, but I wish she wouldn't tease me as much....  
...  
There is no news about Aster...It has been two months since he left for law school...No letters or anything...  
I tried so hard to secretly send letters to him or his tutor, but I get no response...  
I'm worried...I told Flora that he is alright but...  
I can't but feel a cold pain in my chest at the thought of him being hurt or anything happening to him.. ~~What if something happened and that's why..~~  
No...  
I shouldn't think like that....He is alright...He's just too busy to write back...   
That's it.. **It has to be...**  
I will do **anything** to find anything about him...I swear...  
.....I'm scared but I'll hold on..I swear I will...  
I just want to know...  
  
Aster...I miss you...I miss you so much...  
_  
She sighed as she looked at the diary page and sighed as she looked out the open window at the starry sky.   
**_"I promise..."  
  
_** She remembered his promise of coming back to her, taking her away from her mother...Just to look up at the starry sky and think of him as he will of her...  
She placed her cold hand on her chest and smiled softly, but with a hint of sadness...  
  
She closed her diary as she got up and closed the window. She made her way to her bed, sighing in comfort as she covered herself with her blanket and snuggling.   
  
Closing her eyes slowly before drifting off to sleep.   
Not noticing the window, gently open...  
  


* * *

He came into the room slowly, and quietly...   
Glancing at everything with his glowing yellow orbs, before spotting the princess,   
The shadow came to her bedside, staring at her as she slept softly.   
  
He decided to go to the familiar Manor...   
After all, he felt something of his was in there, and he didn't like the thought of **his** things not being in **_his_** forest ** _, where they belonged_.**   
He, for some strange reason, decided to sneak by the gardens...Again, it was like deja vu...  
  
To notice two ladies talking. A tall redhead and an incredibly short blond... _Both familiar..._  
He didn't hear much, just bits and pieces...   
_But the pouty expressions and angry huffs of the blond were absolutely adorable~  
  
_ He found himself, containing his chuckles as she whacked the other with a stick and getting flustered over the something the redhead said.   
He found himself get as close as he could without alerting the two, amused at the small cute little thing~  
Before managed to hear something about stealing her away- He held his growls at the Redhead as he snarled.   
  
**If anyone was snatching this little cute thing, it was him!** Besides, he needed a new servant- And while she didn't look like much, he could tell she was definitely amusing enough to have her by his side...  
 ** _Until he got bored of her, or she planned on doing something stupid._**  
He blinked as he heard laughter and managing to hear their playful farewells.   
The shadow, managed to avoid being spotted by the Redhead, still shaking his head and sticking out his tongue at her back. He turned his gaze on his prey and smirked.   
  
**_It was time to steal himself a new servant.  
  
_** He sunk into the bushes, rustling them.   
She would come over and inspect them, then he would yoink her, carry her upwards, and take her back into the forest, where she belongs...  
  
But instead, she teased him- or rather him thinking she was her friend...  
  
 ** _"I'll outlaw bacon if you don't, I'm a princess, I can do that~"_ **  
  
His eyes widen at that...  
 **She was the princess?!** He looked at her retreating back, finally noticing the crown and how fancy her dress was...  
And that phrase... _'Outlawing Bacon'_....He's heard that... _He swore he did_...  
  
He broke out of his musing to see she was gone...   
He felt a pang of desperation as he looked around for her before noticing her passing through a window.   
He sighed in relief as he followed her, eventually himself peeking at her as she wrote in a diary.  
  
Waiting carefully until he saw her finally going to sleep.   
  
He got close to her, slowly putting his hand to caress her soft cheek. She sleepily smiled and nuzzled his hand. He felt a strange pang in his chest as an unusual soft smile was on his face...  
 _This... This felt very familiar...._  
 _...._  
  
The Shadow shook his head as he prepared himself to steal a little princess.   
That was before a strong gust of wind blew into the room, sending knocking a few things, including the book she wrote it.   
He panicked as he saw her face wrinkle and slowly wake up.

* * *

 _She was with Aster, being in the forest near the gardens, in a secret tree fort._  
 _Looking up at the stars as he told her about the constellations and the stories behind them._  
 _He turned at her and gently held her cheek in his hand, she smiled upwards at him as he smiled back and leaned closer to her...  
She felt her heart race as she leaned closer to him, preparing for his soft lips to touch hers.... Before a loud gust of wind blew. She shouted as she held on to the tree, but he was blown away, still reaching out to her.   
  
_**"ASTER!"** she gasped as she woke up, reaching for him... Only to sigh when she realized it was just a dream...while more of a nightmare, really...  
She sat up slowly, glancing around the room... No one was here or coming to check on her, thank goodness. But the window was open, along with a few things knocked to the floor.   
_Huh... She could have sworn she closed it before she went to bed..._  
 _  
_She got up, put on her slippers, and closed the window, sighing tiredly a bit before returning to bed.  
 _  
"_ It was just a dream _...Just a dream..."_ she muttered before closing her eyes and slowly entering the world of dreams. _  
_ _  
_

* * *

The shadow waited a few minutes before rising from under the bed, grumbling at the window for nearly ruining his plan, before looking at the mess made by the wind.  
 _' **Aster'** , huh? Why was that name so familiar?... _  
_Many familiar things today, all because a stupid knight decided to run away-_  
  
He glanced at the princess before grumbling even more as he picked up the items. He doesn't want it to look like a struggle after all...  
He picked up everything and placed it in what he assumed were their proper place before finally picking up the diary...   
The shadow blinked before deciding to read some of the entries in it out of curiosity...  
  
As he read, he felt a mixed bag of emotions, mostly anger and something he could not place...He softly growled before turning to the latest entry-   
He stared at it and her for a while...  
  
 _ **Aster**... **Aster**....He knew that name from somewhere....but **whe-**_  
 _Oh_.... ** _Oh..._**  
He turned to her- _**Sheesh, talk about bad luck-**_ At the very least, his feelings of anger and that strange emotion were gone- _But how he go about with this information-_   
Then an idea hit him _... **A cruel and horrible idea...**_  
  
Before a sinister smirk appeared on his face, holding back his cruel laughter as he reread the diary again and put the diary back on the desk.   
  
**No**...He wouldn't steal his little princess tonight... _He has something much better in mind._  
  
He chuckled darkly as he placed his hand on her cheek again.   
  
_**"Don't worry~ I won't snatch you away~ You'll be mine willingly~"**_ he whispered darkly as he removed his hand and opened the window, closing it again.   
Giving her one more sinister smirk before floating away to start planning.   
  
**If this all worked out, not only will he rule Subcon Forest, He'll rule _ALL_ of Subcon... **


End file.
